As a conveyor belt, which is one of conveyor chains, which load and convey an article or articles, a conveyor belt has been known in which a belt module forming the conveyor belt is provided rotatable balls, the article or articles are managed on the conveying way to slide them on a lateral side of the belt so that they are discharged (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-182829).
The above-mentioned conveyor belt is formed as follows. Namely, a belt module, which loads an article, is formed by vertically stacking a first member and a second member to be united. And hinge portions, respectively formed in the first member and the second member, are joined to form a hinge portion of a belt module. Then a plurality of the belt modules are connected to each other with connecting pins so that the conveyor chain is formed. This belt module includes rotatable balls so that articles being conveyed on a conveyor belt are slid on the belt to be discharged onto a lateral side. The first member and the second member are each provided with an opening. When the first member and the second member are united, a ball-receiving portion is formed so that a ball is rotatably held on this ball-receiving portion.
Patent Reference 1 is Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-182829.